The PIG versus the CAT

In my recent conversations with my lovely quiver, I was trying to explain how I hoped our babies should live and behave. As I expounded on these points, I noticed a cat walking through the compound.  That there was the muse I wanted and I explained thus

There are two animals I would like to talk about: The Cat and the Pig. 

The Cat is a clean animal – period. It is always licking its fur squeaky clean and always chooses carefully where and how to rest.  It will most likely look for the most cozy place to lie down and still keep cleaning its fur.  It walks as though it is tiptoeing – never interested in making a sound. No wonder there is a thing called the CatWalk.  Those who want to excel in it had better watch the cat.  The Cat is always sharpening its claws, ever ready for the kill.  Right from its youth, the cat will always be trained on how to make surprise attacks, how to roll, jump and run away.  Those who own cats know that if you don’t provide a piece of wood for them to sharpen their claws, they will start the timber in your our couch to do that. It is rare to find a cat that is obese like the famed cartoon creature Garfield or as careless as Tom in the famous Tom and Jerry series.  It will ensure that it eats up its entire kill and still lick itself clean.  You might not realise it has eaten.  It is very rare to find a misplaced bit of fur on a cat.   

 

The Cat is also a creature of habit. Choosing one specific place to rest or to ease itself.  The cat doesn’t litter at all.  Even when it wants to “use the bathroom”, the cat will dig up a hole, does its thing, and then covers it up.  Those who stay in apartments know that they need to provide a litter box for their cats. Others will leave a small flap door for the cats to go in and out  of the apartment whenever they feel the need to ease themselves or explore the world.  If you  don’t do this, you will have to hire a professional to find out where the cat has littered.  I wish you luck on that. The cat, claws sharpened and all, will also never rush to catch its dinner.  It is a very patient animal and will not rush to catch its meal. Often, one will notice a cat intently looking at a place and wondering what it is up to. Most likely, it is waiting patiently for the rat or any other rodent to make a mistake, and then it will spring so quickly and catch the unsuspecting prey in clean one swoop like the eagle.  

The Cat also knows where its bread is buttered – for those of us who have lived with cats, we can attest that it will swoon over those it loves or those it knows care for it.  It will avoid the nasty people.  Even when it is about to deliver its young, the cat will look for the most comfortable place – including handbags, suits cases or freshly pressed bed sheets to do so.  In sum therefore, the cat is an animal of class, elegance and royalty.  It has over the centuries been equated to being at the top of society and there is reason for this.

The Pig on the other hand is almost the opposite of the cat.  It is noisy and dirty.  It is also extremely greedy and selfish.  The Pig doesn’t clean up after itself and will even bath in the dirtiest of water.  It lays to rest in the most filthy of places and doesn’t seem to mind whether its excreta is right in front of its nose.  From its infancy, the Pig is always gobbling up anything placed before it and like Oliver Twist, is always asking for more. It will even eat up a cement if it has to.  The Pig is a scavenger and will not lose a minute in eating up anything laid before it. The Pig is ever demanding and ever hungry.  It will eat its young if it feels too hungry.  The Pig has no decorum, no style, no self worth. Nothing.  In my primary School those kids who never wanted to share their eats with others were often referred to as Greedy Pigs. 

No wonder the Bible says in Proverbs 11:22 (NKJV) As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks ^[a]discretion.  It is no wonder the Pigs is often used to symbolize politicians who seek to satisfy their needs instead of the needs of others.

I challenged my children, after narrating this story that they ought to decide for themselves what they will be – Are they Cats or they are Pigs? Do they treat themselves with dignity? Do they value themselves the way the Lord values them? Do they know that there is  GOD who has given them all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3)?  Do they treat one another as royals or as paupers?  Are they greedy and selfish? Do they know that just as we watched the cat, outside the window, God is also watching them?  I then encouraged them that in my book, they are  Cats. They are far more precious than rubies (Proverbs 3:15), they are the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8)[1], they are royalty just like the cat is often pictured with royals (1 Peter 2:9)[2]  

Dear Reader, who are you?

Are you a Pig or a Cat?

This post reminds me of Walt Disney's ARISTOCATS

Everybody wants to be a cat
Because a cat's the only cat
Who knows where it's at

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[1] For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the ^[a]apple of His eye.

[2] 1 Peter 2:9-10  (NKJV)  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.